Over the years, cookware has been through a lot of evolutions. From brass to aluminium, there have been a lot of different materials used for making these utensils.
Among them, hard anodized cookware has taken special place in most of the Indian kitchen shelves. From their unique colour and durability, there are many reasons why people are preferring this choice.
However, just as any other appliance or thing, hard anodized cookware also comes with their share of drawbacks.
Before investing in this cookware range, we recommend checking them out to known if this option is suitable for your preferences.
In this article, we are going to explore different hard anodized cookware disadvantages in depth. Take your time to go through them.
But before that, lets have a quick look at what hard-anodized material is made from to understand the cons properly.
What is Hard-Anodized Cookware?
The basic material used for this cookware is aluminium which undergoes a series of electro-chemical processes to make it more durable and 30% harder compared to stainless steel. This process creates a layer of coat which makes it non-stick and protective. It also makes it non-reactive to acidic foods which is the reason why it has become one of the preferred options.
Drawbacks of Hard Anodized Cookware
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Appearance
Unlike enamelled, coated and ceramic cookware, this one doesn’t come in any colours. In fact, it has a dark grey color because of the anodizing process. This can be issues for some people who are looking for a bright and colourful kitchen. And moreover, they are not exactly serving or dining room friendly.
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Stains on the Exterior
Actually, most of the people commonly complaint about the stains on the hard anodized cookware. This happens because the outer surface is more prone to permanent stains. Over the time, due to regular wear and tear, sometimes there can be spills over the sides, the exteriors get the stains which are quite hard to remove.
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Not Suitable for High Heat Cooking
At high heat levels, the anodized cooking breaks down and chips. This leads to mineral leaching into the food which very harmful to your health. In addition to that, this cookware heats up pretty quickly. So, foods get easily burnt if you cook at high temperature levels.
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No to Cooking Spray
Sticky sprays are an absolute no when you are using hard anodized cookware. Using of cooking spray can decrease the durability and longevity of the non-stick coating, especially while it is heating. It makes the surface become tacky. As most of these cooking sprays come with chemicals, during the evaporation, they leave a sticky residue on the surface.
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No to Hard Scrubbing
Using metallic scrubber or steel wool or any other hard cleaning supplies are absolute no as they can damage the anodized layers of the cookware. And over the time, they may create small pores over the cooking surface. Because of this, foods come in contact with inner aluminium layer which cast with the ingredients also leach the chemicals into them.
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Non-compatible with Induction
The induction cook-tops are designed to heat up the magnetic parts of the base of pots and pans. All the anodized cookware is not magnetic. If there is no magnetic metal cladding, then the outer base then no cooking at all.
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Not so dishwasher Safe
Products that are hard anodized or have non-stick coating are not dishwasher safe. Even if the brand markets dishwasher safe, it is better to hand wash to maintain the durability. As already mentioned, the surface of this particular cookware is more susceptible to stains. If not cleaned properly on time, the stains may stay there forever.
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Not suitable for storing food
It is considered harmful to store the cooked food in hard anodized cookware as the chemicals may leech into the food. So, it is better to avoid it.
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Heavy in Weight
Compared to standard aluminium, hard anodized aluminium is on the heavier side. And moreover, it is often thicker than traditional options. This may actually feel bulkier and hard to maneuverer in the kitchen for doing to the day-to-day tasks.
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Quality Variation
There are several manufacturers that make hard anodized cookware options. And not of all them have equal quality. The quality of cookware is an important factor that can impact the performance of the cooking. For getting even heating process, you may have to focus on getting options with heavy-gauge and that only adds more to the weight.
Health Risks Associated with Hard Anodized Cookware
Hard anodized cookware is associated with some possible health risks, especially when it cooked at high heat. For this cookware, aluminium material is used which available is actually not a metal that is recommended to use for a healthy lifestyle cooking.
But manufacturers often claim the anodized aluminium used for their cookware products is completely safe for humans. Some of them even state that the small amount of aluminium leached or leaked into the food is not harmful for humans.
As per the Centre of Disease Control, an average adult consumed about 7 to 9 milligrams of aluminium food because of aluminium mixtures added during the processing.
However, too much consumption of aluminium is poisonous and potentially lead to harmful diseases like bone deterioration, anaemia, diminished kidney function, memory loss and several others. Another major concern with this kind of cookware is that it has non-stick coating.
Now-a-days, most of the hard-anodized cookware has a non-stick coating surface which is acquired from a PTFE (brand is Teflon). This coating can be pretty harmful when it is scratched or exposed to high amounts of heat.
So, never used them on high heat temperatures. You have to cook food in them at possibly low to medium temperature. In addition to that, it is better to avoid the use of induction altogether.
Final Takeaway
Hard anodized cookware has been popular for their unique appearance and non-sticky nature. Though they are bit expensive, people have loved to have them in their kitchen and cooking with them on day-to-day basis.
They have a multitude of advantages yet some drawbacks to consider as well. We have included most of them in this article for your reference. If you any doubts or queries, write to us in the comment section below.
